Sweet Memory
by FaithinBones
Summary: Booth gets advice from an unexpected source. (This story takes place in season 10.)


This takes place after "The Purging of the Pundit" (Season 10).

This story was inspired by April30lin who is a big fan of Bones. She does Bones fan art that is really quite good. She has a tumblr account if you're interested.

I definitely don't own Bones.

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His daughter standing next to him, Booth helped her change the shoes on her favorite doll, "You know Honey, if you wouldn't take them off so much then you wouldn't have to get me or Mommy to put the shoes back on all of the time."

Laughing, Christine leaned against his knee, "She can't go to bed with shoes on, Daddy. That's silly."

Handing her the doll, Booth asked, "So, do you want to watch the game with Daddy?"

Shaking her head, the young girl frowned, "No Daddy. I'm having a tea party."

Patting her shoulder, Booth laughed, "Well, have fun." Watching her skip out of the room with her doll, Booth's smile dropped from his lips. Leaning back against the couch, he stared at the black screen on his TV. "_Four months, she's grown so much."_ Picking up the television remote, Booth clicked on the TV and resigned himself to the fact that life moved on whether or not you were around to see it.

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Deciding that the game wasn't interesting enough to keep his attention even though he'd hoped it would, Booth turned off the television and walked over to his daughter's bedroom. Leaning against the door frame, Booth smiled as he watched Christine pouring make believe tea into tiny cups. Her back towards him, she was unaware she had an audience as she placed a cup down in front of an empty space between her stuffed tiger and her favorite doll. "Okay, Uncle Sweets, blow on it cause it's hot. Don't burn your tongue."

Startled, Booth stood up straight and listened as his daughter continued to speak to her invisible guest. "Daddy and Mommy are sad because you went away." Continuing to pour tea in other cups and placing them in front of her dolls, the child fussed, "You was bad to go away." Picking up her cup, she sipped her invisible tea and placed her cup down. "Daddy cried. I don't like when Daddy cries."

Swallowing, Booth turned and left the doorway. Entering the living room, he stood staring at the airplane wing hanging on the wall. Moving closer, he placed his finger in one of the holes and muttered, "I'll never forget. You were family and I'll never forget."

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Leaving their bedroom, Brennan saw her husband standing next to his airplane wing, a finger rubbing the bullet holes and staring intently at them. Concerned about the melancholy mood emanating from him, she walked down the hallway and stopped next to him, "Is something wrong?"

Rubbing one of the bullet holes, Booth replied, "I'm just sad, that's all. It's nothing."

Reaching up and taking his hand in hers, she brought his hand away from the reminder of a brutal day in their life, "It's good not to forget Booth but things have improved considerably since that day. We found out who was behind the attack on you and he will never be able to hurt anyone again."

Turning to stare at his partner and wife, Booth reached up with his free hand and cupped her chin, "Has it got better? We lost Sweets, we lost our house, Christine has lost an uncle and the feeling of security that she deserves. It isn't here . . . not really. She deserves to be happy but we keep taking things away from her." Dropping his hand, he turned to stare at the airplane wing again. "We keep taking the joy out of her life."

"Booth, we haven't taken anything from Christine." Placing her hand on his wrist, she pressed his hand downwards away from the wing tip, "We had powerful enemies and they tried to take us away from her but they failed. They failed and we won. She has a new house but she's young and I don't think that really matters to her. We replaced her toys that were damaged and she's fine with that too. You were gone for four months and she was afraid that she'd never see you again but you're home again and she loves you so much. Christine will be fine Booth. You need to let go of the past and move on. Christine already has."

Shaking his head slowly, Booth sighed, "No she hasn't Bones. She's in her room right now having a tea party with Sweets."

Startled, Brennan stared at her husband. Thinking, she finally smiled with a tinge of sadness, "She's a child Booth. She misses her uncle and she's invited his memory to play with her. It's normal for children to have imaginary friends. I've read several books about children who were involved in traumatic circumstances and some of them mentioned the need for children to be able to use their imagination while playing. She's imaging Sweets is here and that's normal."

Tapping the air plane wing, Booth retorted, "What the hell, Bones. You don't believe in psychology. You tell me all the time it's a soft science and not verifiable. We're talking about our daughter. Our little girl. She's not living a normal life, Bones. She's almost four years old and she's been separated from me twice. Her home was destroyed and she lost her Uncle Sweets. She. . . ." Shaking his head, Booth lowered his arm, "I wanted my daughter to have the childhood we didn't have. I wanted her to have a normal happy life. They took that away from her. How are we supposed to get that back?"

Gripping his shoulder, Brennan shook it, "Booth. You . . ."

Stepping into the room, Christine called out, "Daddy . . . . Mommy come play with me, please."

Turning to stare at their daughter, Booth forced a smile to appear, "Of course, Honey. We'll be right there." Glancing at Brennan, Booth shrugged his shoulders, "You'll see, you have to see. We need to fix this, but I don't know how."

Shaking her head, Brennan stepped around Booth and followed her daughter into her bedroom. Following behind, Booth braced himself for tea with a ghost.

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Sitting on the carpet, Booth leaned against the small bed and watched as his daughter handed them each cards. "Now don't forget the rules this time, Daddy."

Taking the cards from Christine, he noticed that he had two more cards than Brennan and his child. Holding them up, Booth smiled, "You gave me too many cards, Honey. Would you like me to help you count them?"

Sitting down on the carpet between her parents, Christine shook her free hand, "No Daddy. You need them. You don't play the game too good."

Amused, Brennan laughed quietly while studying her cards. Glaring at his wife, Booth pursed his lips and looked over the cards in his hands. Ready to begin, Christine asked her mother, "Okay Mommy, to you have any twos?"

Handing over one card, Brennan remarked, "Why do you always ask for twos first?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Christine studied her cards, "Uncle Sweets always did. He said that's a stragy."

Thinking it over, Booth laughed, "A strategy, Honey." His smile disappearing, Booth glanced at Brennan and then at Christine, "Christine, you understand that Uncle Sweets is gone to Heaven and he's not coming back don't you?"

Nodding her head, Christine pointed at her father, "You got any fours?"

Handing her a card, Booth glanced at Brennan and then at his cards, shuffling them a few times.

"Uncle Sweets told me that when you were away to pretend you were here and I would feel better." Scratching her head, the child smiled, "You should try that Daddy then you won't cry. Uncle Sweets said to remember you being good. I remember Uncle Sweets being good. It makes me happy."

Closing his eyes, Booth swallowed several times. "Thanks Honey, I'm going to remember to do that."

Pleased, Christine laughed, "Uncle Sweets was funny."

Reaching out and placing her hand on Booth's arm, Brennan smiled, "Yes he was." Placing his hand over her hand, Booth nodded his head, "Yes and he loved you a lot Christine."

Rubbing her nose, Christine nodded her head, "I know. He told me all the time. He said he loved me and he loved you and he loved Mommy. It makes me happy to think of Uncle Sweets."

Squeezing Brennan's hand, Booth replied quietly, "Me too, Honey."

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Thanks for reading my story. What did you think of it?


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